Signal-box



(No Model.) v

M. MARTIN.

-SIGNAL BOX. No. 375,083. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

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N. PETERS. Pholoblhogmpher. Wzshinglom uJQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS MARTIN, OF MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN OR TO THE MUNICI- PAL SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SIGNAL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,083, dated December 20, 1887.

Application filed-Decemberfifl, 1886. Serial No. 222,330. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, MORRIS llIA'RTIN, of Malden, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Signal-Boxes, of which the following descrip tion, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

The object of my invention relating to signal -boxes is to prevent the operator from breaking in upon or in any way interfering with the transmission of a signal by the motor that is wound by the operator; and the invention consists, mainly, in a novel construction and combination of the devices by which the motor is woundand is then permitted to run for the purpose of transmitting the signal.

The invention also consists in a device that co-operates with a key by which the motor 20.

maybe operated to cause a signal to be transmitted without opening the box or obtaining access to the mechanism inside of the box or outer inclosing-case.

The invention is shown as embodied in a signal-box intended for policesignal apparatus, in which a signal indicating the number of the boX may be transmit-ted without opening the box, and a variety of signals may be 'transmitted when the box is opened, various forms for such apparatus being shown in Patents Nos. 288,536, dated November 13, 1883, and 320,032, dated June 16, 1885.

The present invention consists, mainly,in the combination, with the motor that actuates the break-wheel or the signaling device of usual character, of a starting device or winding-arm for the said motor and an actuating device or 'pull for the said winding'arm, and a locking device co-operating with the winding device or starting-lever for locking said device or lever when in its abnormal or wound position, or that position which it will occupy when the pull has been actuated to wind the motor, and

means carried by the actuating-pull and operative when the said pull has returned to its normal position for moving the said locking device to lock the pull and also to effect the release of the winding-arm or starting-lever that said lever may return to its normal position while the actuating-pull is locked,and also with means carried by the windingarm or starting-lever for moving the locking device out of'engagement with the actuating-pull, said means being effective when the windingarm or starting-lever has returned to its normal position. I a

The invention also consists in devices, hereinafterspecified, that co-operate with the key' by which the pull is actuated from the outside of the box.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the signalbox embodying this invention, being shown with the door open and with portions of the inner plate broken away to show the mechanism; and Figs. 2 and 3, details showing the winding and locking mechanism in dill'erent positions.

The motor a, that actuates the break-wheel or other device for automatically producing a telegraphic signal or message,may be actuated to turn the break-wheel either bya weight or spring,andis wound,when asignal is to be sent, by the starting or winding device b, (shown as a pivoted arm,) which,when turned in one direction,winds the weight or spring, but does not move the wheels of the motor, and when turned in the opposite direction by theweight or spring running down engages by a ratchet and pawl the wheels of the motor, so as to actuate the same. The motor and circuit controller operated by it together constitute a signal-transmitter.

The teeth of the ratchet are so spaced that a movement equal to one tooth produces a complete signal, and any movement of the arm b less than one tooth of the ratchet will not cause the pawl to be engaged, and consequently will not affect the motor.

The winding device b is actuated by the actuating device or pull 0, shown as a slidebar guided and having its movement in both directions limited by the pin (2, entering the slot 0 in the upper end of the pull 0, which is provided with a handle or finger piece, 0, by which it is operated when the box-door is open, as shown in Fig. 1.

The pull a is provided with a projection, 0 that engages the arm I) when the pull is drawn down and turns the arm sufiiciently far for the next tooth of the ratchet to engage the pawl,

which takes place just as the pull reaches the end of the downward movement limited by the stop-pin d.

The locking device for the winding arm and pull consists of a pivoted lever, e, the upper end of which is pressed toward the side of the pull by a spring, 6.

The lever e is provided with a projectiome that is engagedbyan inclined or cam portion, b, of the arm I), as the latter comes to its normal position in the running down of the motor, and thus serving as a means for throwing the upper end of the lever 6 out from the pull a far enough to permit the latter to move downward, as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as the pull is moved downward the lever e is prevented from turning in by the face 0 on the upper part of the pull, asshown in Fig. 2, and the lower part of the lever e is provided with a projection, 6 which, when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 2, with its upper end resting against the side a of the pull, is in the path of a projection, b on the winding-arm b.

The upper part of the projection e and the under part of the projection b are inclined, as shown, so that when they meet in the downward movement of the arm I) the projection e is forced aside, causing the upper end of the lever e to turn outward from the face 0, and as soon as the projection'b" passes the one 6 the lever e is thrown back by the spring and the two projections lock together, as shown in Fig. 2. v

The arm I) is thus held in its abnormal position, with the motor wound until the pull 0 is released by the operator and moved back by its spring 0 or other retractor to the normal position, and it is therefore impossible for the operator to retard a signal or interrupt it by holding back on the pull while the motor is running down, as the motor is not released and cannot act until the pull is moved back wholly to its normal position.

When it arrives at this position, as shown in Fig. 3, the upper end of the lever 6 drops under a shoulder, c, at the lower end of the part a", and thus locks the pull so that it can not again be moved by the operator while the motor is running, and this same movement of the lever e that locks the pull releases the winding'arm b by throwing the projection e aside from the projection 6 as shown in Fig. 3, so that the motor can now run without chance of interference by the pull, and it is not until the pull arrives at its normal position that the winding-arm is released and the motor permitted to run.

At the last part of the movement of the motor, after the signal is all transmitted, the cam part b of the arm I) engages the projection e and unlocks the pull, so that another signal arm, '13, pivoted concentric with the key and connected by alink, 7?, with the pull 0.

A dog or pawl, m, is arranged to permit the key to be turned in the direction to operate the pull, but prevents it being turned back into line with the key-hole, so that the key, when once inserted and turned, cannot be removed, as the arm 93 does not admit of sufficient forward movement to bring the key in line with the key-hole by a complete forward rotation.

The main or stationary frame-work of the box is provided with an additional opening, it, above the key-hole, which opening is filled when the-box-door'is closed by a projection, h fon the box-door, giving the same effect as if the keyhole h were made in a single solid piece. WVhen, however, the box-door is open, as shown in Fig. 1, the hole h isuncovered and open, and consequently the key may be withdrawn through it.

I am aware that signal-boxes have been made in which a winding device is actuated by a pull so arranged that it cannot interfere with the movement of the winding device while the motor is running down; but I dov the starting-lever, combined with locking mechanism by which the starting-lever and actuating-pull are alternately engaged and released, substantially as described.

2. The winding device provided with a cam, and a locking projection combined with the pull provided with a locking-shoulder, and the locking-lever having a projection at one end that co-operates with the locking projection of the winding device, and a projection at its other end that co-operates with the cam of the locking device, substantially as decribed.

3. The box provided with a key-hole and means for preventing a key when inserted in said hole and turned from being again brought in line with the key-hole, and an additional opening through which the key may be removed when out of line with the key-hole, and a part connected with the door or movable part of the box that normally closes the said additional opening, substantially as described.

4.. In a signal-box, a signal-transmitter, an inclosing-case for it, and actuatingmeans accessible from the exterior of the case for setting the transmitter in condition to transmit a signal, combined with means concealed within the inclosing-case for retaining the transmitter in condition to transmitasignal until the actuating means have returned to their normal position, substantially as described.

IIO

5. In a signal-box, a signal-transmitter, an inclosing-case for it, and actuating means accessible from the exterior of the case for setting the transmitter in condition to transmit a signal, combined with locking mechanism concealed within the inclosing-case for locking the transmitter in condition to transmitasignal until the actuating means have become at rest, and for afterward locking the said actuating means at rest to prevent a second operation until the transmitter has transmitted its signal and also become at rest, substantially as described.

6. In a signal-box, a transmitter, a startinglever therefor, and an actuating-pull for the starting-lever, combined with looking mechanism for retaining the starting-lever when moved by the pull, while the said pull returns to its normal position, and thereby effects the release of the starting-lever, and also for lock- MORRIS MARTIN.

Witnesses:

J osLP. LIvERMoRE, JAS- 'J. MALONEY. 

